Project Management Support System - Example

Name: University: Course: Tutor: Date: Project Management Support System Feasibility Study Executive Summary A feasibility study is conducted in order to make a decision if a project is practical and reasonable to invest in. It is to a study on the viability of the specified proposed project. The study should provide the answers of why the project should be implemented and if the project is worth the investment. A feasibility study outlines and details alternatives and opportunities that are available. The feasibility study will be used as a reference during the project implementation as all the details are documented. The study will assess the available resources and funding and make decision on whether the project implementation can be justified. The aim of this project is to widen the road located South Western Sydney. The project proposed will widen the road as well as improve the existing road system by using tarmac. The current structure of the road will be retained with only the additional bridges. The widening of the road is expected to reduce the traffic jam currently being experienced by the people in South Western Sydney town. At the moment getting to South Western Sydney takes double the time it should take as there is congestion of traffic especially in the morning and evening when people are commuting to work. Furthermore, there is always a traffic snarl up whenever a trailer is moving to or from South Western Sydney as the road is too narrow to allow overtaking without the risk of a possible accident. The project will lead to the growth of the town which would uplift the community’s livelihood as business opportunities will create jobs and provide more income. The environmental issues will be considers in the construction of the road to ensure that the construction does not interfere with the environment. The project includes construction of two bridges linking South Western Sydney with the two neighboring towns. A construction project involves use of many resources and in most cases there are several approvals which are required from specific authorities. There were consultations with the necessary authorities and approvals were granted. Project Background The current road is too narrow to serve the growing needs of the community at South Western Sydney. Widening the road will create an opportunity to easy accessibility to the town. The narrow road has led to business people and potential investors to move away from this area as the transport costs are too high. There is a lot of time that is wasted on the road before one gets to the destined place, while at the same time spending too much on fuel and maintenance of the vehicles. The existing road is gravel. The project will not only include widening the road but also improving the already existing road to make it more reliable and dependable especially during the wet weather. There are potholes and their presence makes the road impassable whenever the rains fall and the residents of this area will have to use longer routes if they do not have four-wheel drive vehicles. The project will include refilling these potholes. The current road is a single lane road which can only accommodate cars and small vehicle as two way traffic. This means that when the big vehicles are moving alongside this road, traffic can only move one-way traffic. This is very inconveniencing as a lot of time is wasted in waiting for the traffic to be controlled from either side. The existing road has a speed limit of 60 to 80 km/hour. This speed can at times go as low as 40 km/hr especially more when it rains or when there is heavy traffic. The project is proposing a wider two way road with an increased limit speed to 100 km/hr. The completion of the project will thus reduce time used on the road, reduce vehicle operating expenses, make it an all weather road and integrate the construction of the road with the environment and the landscape of the area. There is so much potential for growth in this area. The area has potential to attract visitors and tourists because it has beautiful sceneries. There is an interest in visiting rural urban areas by urbanites that may be in search of a quiet moment in the rural areas away from the city congestion. The expansion of the road will make the town accessible for such visitors. Apart from this the town is a link between several busy towns. The road expansion will shorten the distances between these towns. As a link the town will benefit from the opportunities that will arise from the business people using the town as a link. There were two options that were considered in constructing a link between South Western Sydney and the other two towns. The first option was to use a direct road while the second option involved creating a link through a bridge. The first option was less expensive but there were serious risks of interfering with the terrains. Thus this option would have serious impact on the environment. The second option would be more expensive in terms of financial resources but had less impact on the environment. Though this second option was more expensive it was chosen as the best option as the impact on environment would lead to more expensive in the long run. The existing road is in need of a curve and wall improvements as well as repairing of the pavements. These improvements will be necessary to ensure that the project earns the full benefits of a road that can be used by vehicles of different sizes all the way from South Western Sydney. The pavements will be expanded to include a special pavement for cycling and a pavement will ensure their safety. The construction project should ensure that the construction of the road does not interfere with other types of infrastructure which include the drainage system, the telephone lines and the electricity lines. A proper drainage system includes a plan that takes care of the flow of the rain water. This is very important as one, poor drainage means flooded and impassible roads and secondly, the flooded water may cause harm to the road making it more expensive to maintain and reducing its life. Project Justification Financial Projections The project will be financed by the World Bank through the government. The total budget for the road expansion will be $40 million dollars which will be released in a span of two years. Ten percent of this will be used on administration and the rest will be on the construction and materials. The benefits will be earned in the long-term in terms of employment created and income from business investments. Benefits The project is needed for it has some potential benefits. The benefits of the project are short term, medium term and long-term, social and economic (Berkun, 56). The project will benefit the community both in the short term and the long term. The short term benefits will include easy movement and a reliable transport system. The residents will safe in fuel and time which is usually spent on the road. The long-term benefits will be earned from the business and growth opportunities that will come as a result of the road expansion. Easy transport communication will attract investors to the town. This will lead to job creation and an increase in the income for the local authority. The link to other towns will also create opportunities. The residents can look for employment from these towns as commuting will be made easier. South Western Sydney has agricultural land; the expansion of the road will mean that marketing the farm produce will be easier. The neighboring towns will create a ready market and transporting the products will be made easier. The rural and natural landscape will be used an asset to attract tourists, increasing further possibilities for the town growth. The social benefits include the easy accessibility, a reduction in accidents. The impact on the environmental will be minimal. Environmental Considerations Conserving the environment should be the responsibility of every responsible citizen. The project design is in such a way that there will be minimal impact on the environment. The project will meet all the environmental requirements recommended by RTA and other environmental bodies. The construction design and methods will be integrated with the principles of ecologically sustainable development as recommended by the Roads and Traffics Authority (RTA). There are four principles which are to be applied in this construction project. The precautionary principle will be applied to ensure that the construction will not have cause serious and irreversible damage on the environment (Merz, 9). The inter-generation principle is guidance to the effect that whatever impacts the construction will not affect the environment in such a way that the future generation will not enjoy the environment. The conservation principle ensures the conservation of ecological diversity and integrity and finally the improved valuation, pricing and incentive mechanisms principle which ensures that the environmental impacts will be considered in the valuation of assets and services. These are the principles that were considered in choosing construction of a bridge instead of a direct road linking South Western Sydney to other towns. In the construction, there will be minimal damage to the existing vegetation and natural landscape. Other environmental considerations which have been taken care of include the fact that there is no interference with the water catchments areas. There will be minimal interference with the landscape, which will be minimized and only when there is no alternative left. The animals’ natural habitats will not be affected to ensure the sustenance of natural ecological system. Furthermore, the natural landscape is one of the assets that will be used to scoop back the project investment as it is expected to attract urban visitors as well as tourists. Sustaining it is therefore very crucial. The road expansion is in a rural environment and therefore the road is adjoining rural surroundings and privately owned property. The population in this area is scattered and the privately owned land is mostly agricultural land used for food crops and part of it for grazing. Any interference on private property will be maintained to a basic minimal and where necessary there will be consultation with the community before such interference is exercised (Professional Project Management p4). The government had provided for the road expansion and as such the land which will be used for expansion is publicly owned. Thus, the road expansion will not affect the private land (Merz, 7). Any effect or interference will only be temporally which will affect the residents in the movement of construction materials, while unloading and when the wide vehicles are turning. The impact of this will be recorded and discussed with the community as well as with the individuals that will be affected. A higher percentage of the reserved land will however be used through this expansion. It will therefore be necessary for the government authorities to consider the measures that should be taken in ensuring that there is land for future expansion. South Western Sydney is expecting high growth in the long –term which will be driven by the expansion of this road. It is therefore necessary that the government acts on this issue. The construction design was designed in such a way that it met with the requirements recommended as stipulated in the Environmental Planning and Assessment Regulation 2000. An impact environment Statement (IES) assessment was prepared and forwarded to the RTA for further submission to the Director General of Planning National Wildlife Services (NSW). According to the Requirements of the Act, the Director will assess it and if he approves he would pass it to the Minister of Planning for approval. All these requirements were met. The IES submits an outline of the impact a project would have on the environment as well as a statement of the project owner’s commitments regarding the conservation of the environment. The EIS lists any mitigation measure the project owners are planning to use to reduce the impact on the environment. The NPWS should communicate giving approval of the project Mitigation measures These are the measure that will be taken to ensure there is minimal impact on the environment and the landscape. The project will not interfere with any unique natural features such as rivers and stream flowing along the path. Operating Requirements Authority Consultation A construction project will require approvals from several authorities. A construction project involves a lot of resources, in terms of finances, time, human resources and the impact it has on the environment. All the approvals were requested and received approval. According to the Environmental Management Systems Guidelines, it is a requirement by the government that contractors put in place an environment management system. It is also part of the requirement and a social responsibility to ensure that all corporate and firms consider the environmental impacts of their actions and to ensure that the environment is sustained for the future generation. Before any construction, a contractor is required to prepare a Contractor’s Environment Management Plan (CEMP). There was need to require approval from the Department of Land and Water Conversation to ensure that the project met with the Native Vegetation Conservation Act and Rivers and Foreshore Improvement Act. The department requested a commitment to maintain these requirements. This commitment is included in the Statement of Commitment. There was consultation with the members of the South Western Sydney Community as the project was to be largely affected especially during the construction period. The South Western Sydney Community requested a commitment that any temporally use of private land was to be compensated. This commitment is included in the statement of commitment. The project will meet all other legal requirements including labor and employment laws and regulations. Statement of Commitment The project managing team is committed to ensure that the road expansion project will adhere to the recommendations and issues raised by several stakeholders. There will be no interference with natural vegetation and the natural flow of the river. The expansion of the road will be designed to avoid this interference. There will be minimal noise and air pollution. There will be strict measure to reduce dust. There will be a noise wall and noise barriers to minimize the noise on the construction sites. Where the vegetation has been cleared within the construction period, there will be a replacement with the same type of vegetation at the end of the project completion. The project will use as little water as will be necessary. Water will be recycled whenever it is possible. Any holes that will be dug during the construction will be refilled after the construction period. Any use of private land will only be done after consulting with the owner and getting approval of the same. Study Team The project study team includes the project manager, a project advisor, a projector analyzer, OHS representative, a quality manager and the works manager. There will be a staff member from the RTA who will be involved on consultancy basis. The RTA consultant recommended a steering committee which included the quality manager from our project team, a member from the local town council, a representative from the local community and someone from the Federal Department of Transport and Regional Services. Recommendations The project should be implemented as the short term benefits exceed the financial costs and environmental considerations of the road expansion. All the environmental requirements were met and approval was granted. The town will benefit from the project, socially, economically and even the impact on the environment will be minimal and only in the short term. There is a ready sponsor for the project and the project is financed in full. The long term economic benefits far outweigh the cost of the project. The project team should ensure that all the requirements are met before, during and even after the project has been finished. Environmental issues have become very sensitive issues in the current world. It will therefore be important that all these requirements are met. If implemented there will be an improved transport system, there will be a link between two other towns which creates a market for South Western Sydney’s agricultural products, accidents will be fewer and a likelihood of growth of tourism and finally an uplifted livelihood for the community. If not implemented the South Western Sydney community will remain isolated and all the said benefits will not be realized. The accidents will continue to happen, vehicle maintenance costs will continue to increase, and the young intellects will continue to move to the more developed towns. All these negative effects will lead to poor growth for the South West Sydney and a decline in the community’s livelihood. After the approval, there will be notifications to the local community through the local media. The RTA will request for the necessary licenses to authorize the start of the project. The project should be implemented with the required environmental considerations. The Project Environment Management Plan (PEMP) should be prepared immediately to meet with the requirements. Conclusion A construction project requires investment of many resources. For the project to succeed it is important that there is a detailed plan detailing all the project requirements. All the risks should be assessed and control measures should be put in place even before the project implementation begins. There is also need for continuous evaluation to ensure that the project is moving as per the program. A project revaluation will mean a comparison with the budget and the duration planned for its completion. The evaluation should therefore be both in terms of finances and time taken to complete the project. The evaluation will ensure that the project implementation is completed as planned and according to the budget. Continuous revaluation of the project will help in ensuring that the project is diverted back to the plan. Other issues that may require attention include equipment security issues and the labor issues. The project team should ensure that these are addressed. The success of the project will depend on the cooperation of all the stakeholders involved. It is important that all the stakeholders are informed of any issues that may affect them and that may affect the project (Kerzner, 91). There should be frequent updates between the constructors, the project team leader. The team leader should ensure that the conclusions from the meetings are communicated to the fund manager. That way, the project will be implemented successfully and the benefits will be recognized in full. Works Cited Merz, Sinclair. Main Road 92 Upgrade: Environmental Impact Statement. 2002. http://www.rta.nsw.gov.au/constructionmaintenance/downloads/mainroad92_eis_summary.pdf. October 11 2010. Berkun, Scott. The Art of Project Management. Sebastopol: O'Reilly Media. 2005. Print. Kerzner, Harold. Project Management: A Systems Approach to Planning, Scheduling, and Controlling. 7th Ed. Washington DC: Project Management Institute. 2000. Print. Professional Project Management. Rural Road Development and Poverty Alleviation in Lao P.D.R. 20 April 2010. http://professionalprojectmanagement.blogspot.com/2010/04/rural-road-development-and-poverty.html October 11 2010. Read More